Keeping your New Year’s Resolution

A new year is upon us and for most people that means another start to you New Year’s resolutions. If you are like the majority of resolution-makers, keeping these goals can be quite the challenge.

Whether you are trying to slim down, save up, or make any positive change in your life, long-term achievement can be difficult. But it doesn’t have to be impossible. Here are a few tips to help you stick with your New Year’s Resolution.

Stay focused – Many times people try to do too much at once. By setting only one or two goals, you keep yourself from being overloaded and allow yourself to focus more closely on the things you want to achieve.

Stay within reach – When choosing your New Year’s resolution, be sure that your goal is achievable. If you set too high of standards for yourself you may become discouraged and more likely to give up. Start small and once you reach what you want to achieve, up the ante.

Make a plan – Think through exactly how and when you will reach your goal. Pick milestones and deadlines that you want to reach. Think through how you will fight temptation and stay positive. Being as prepared as possible and getting into a routine will help you keep your eye on the prize.

Be specific – Quantify what you want to accomplish and how you will do it. If you want to lose weight, chose a goal weight to reach, set standards for how many times you will go to the gym or how many ‘cheat’ meals you can have per month. Putting values on these goals help you stay on track and manage your progress.

Make it a group effort – There’s power in numbers. Join up with some friends and make it a group effort. You’ll help keep each other in line and stay motivated.

Reward yourself – Make sure to recognize the progress that you’ve made and reward yourself for meeting milestones.

Stay positive – With any goal there are ups and downs. You need to stay positive and not get down on yourself. It’s okay if you are not seeing the results that you want as quickly as you had hoped or if you slip up here and there. It’s not always a straight path to achievement but it’s worth it once you get there, so keep your head up!

Whether it’s after your doctor’s office is closed, or any time when you can’t wait to see a doctor, UPMC Urgent Care is here to help. Our walk-in clinics provide a full range of medical services for people of all ages, 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our 7 urgent care locations throughout western Pennsylvania are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., no appointments necessary.
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